Whether you’re looking to play online casino games or sports betting, there are a lot of different legalities to keep in mind. Some of these laws include the Wire Act and the Gambling Devices Transportation Act.
The Wire Act was created to prevent illegal gambling on sporting events. The law prohibits the operation of gambling businesses and the acceptance of payments for illegal Internet gambling. There are also Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions to keep Internet gaming businesses from operating.
The Travel Act is another piece of federal law that prohibits illegal gambling on interstate commerce. However, the Commerce Clause and free speech have been raised in many cases regarding whether the laws should apply.
As for the First Amendment, it is often argued that the commercial nature of the gambling business satisfies the Clause. There have been attacks on the free speech provisions of the Commerce Clause, but they have had little success.
Section 1956 of the Criminal Code makes it a crime to launder the proceeds from illegal gambling. It also creates several distinct crimes: laundering to evade taxes, laundering to conceal, laundering with the intent to promote illicit activity, and laundering for international purposes.
The Federal Communications Commission also has jurisdiction over common carriers. In addition, it can ban the use of facilities or discontinue the operation of facilities. These actions can be difficult to enforce, especially when interstate or foreign elements are involved.
The Online Gambling Regulation Act (OGRA) is a bill that was passed in 2001 and regulates the online gambling industry. It contains provisions for appropriate data security standards, age verification, and location verification. It also contains a section on remote gaming.